History
and Introduction
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
|
 |
-
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis (HMMOM)
is a group of dedicated medical professionals, including physicians, dentists,
nurses, pharmaceutical representatives and other medical and health care
support staff. The group represents a broad section of the health
care industry and is affiliated with several local Memphis-area hospitals
and medical centers.
-
View a Slide
Show about Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
-
The organization began in 1997
as a parish health ministries outreach program for Church of the Holy Spirit
Catholic Church in Memphis. The church had already been providing
financial support and supplies to a small Haitian hospital in the town
of Pilate. At the time, Patrick Moynihan, a former parishioner of
Holy Spirit, had been named director of L’Ouverture Cleary, an orphanage
and school for economically under-privileged Haitian children funded and
managed by The Haitian Project, Inc. The school, which educates over
160 students, is located in the city of Croix-des-Bouquets just outside
of Port au Prince.
-
In response to Mr. Moynihan’s
request, it was decided that a medical team would go to Haiti in April
of 1997 to provide medical care to the students and Haitian people.
The first team included 12 members who spent a week in Haiti attending
to patients at L’Ouverture Cleary School, as well as at facilities established
by the Missionary Sisters of Mother Teresa. Several students from
the school served as interpreters and medical assistants for the medical
team, and continue to do so while the team is in Haiti.
-
Medical trips were conducted
annually in 1998, 1999 and 2000. With the opening of our permanent
clinic in 2001, mission trips have been scheduled more frequently, with
several non-medical trips conducted to support the construction of the
clinic. Non-medical team members included design, engineering and
electrical professionals from the Memphis area.
-
The January 2002 trip was a
milestone, in that it included: 1) the installation of a generator,
2) the assembly and installation of our X-ray equipment, and 3) the talents
of Dr. Rich Scallion, a Memphis-area general surgeon, who introduced surgical
capabilities to our clinic for the first time.
-
In October 2002, Dr. Alan Hammond,
another Memphis surgeon, traveled with the team and also provided surgical
opportunities to the community surrounding our clinic. All mission
trips are led or overseen by Dr. Gordon Kraus, an internist with Preventive
Internal Medicine Group of Memphis.
-
A spiritual leader is considered
an important member of each trip. Spiritual leaders have included
Father Albert Kirk, pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit (who also lead
a Jackson, TN mission team to Jeremie, Haiti from the West Tennessee diocese
in 1993); Father Paul Casper, SCJ, of St. Joseph’s Church in Holly Springs,
MS; and Reverend Anthony Anderson, formerly with Christ United Methodist
Church and currently with Voice of Harmony Church, both of Memphis, TN.
-
While on a medical mission in
2000, priests from the St. Charles Seminary in Haiti, which is located
approximately 3 miles from the L’Ouverture Cleary School, donated land
to Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis and constructed a permanent medical
clinic on the seminary grounds. The clinic became operational in
late fall of 2001. Father Joseph Durante who lives at the St. Charles
Seminary complex provides spiritual leadership for our teams while they
are in Haiti, and helps direct the day-to-day activities of the clinic.
-
We hope to plan medical trips regularly in
the future in order to continue to provide medical care to Haiti while
simultaneously preparing the clinic for full operation and expanding the
services we are capable of offering. However, with continued civil
unrest and kidnappings in Haiti, trips are now on hold. When trips can
be scheduled again, trips would typically be planned for a 5, 7 or 10-day
period.
-
When the Memphis team is not
on-site, the clinic operates daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the assistance
of two full-time Columbian nuns with nursing experience, three visiting
Chilean physicians, and dentists. Each is paid a monthly stipend
by HMMOM.
-
View a Slide
Show about Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
| HMM
Home | | Volunteers
| | Scenes
of Haiti |
|
|
Organization
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
|
|
-
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis is comprised
of a seven-person Board of Directors, as well as volunteers from the parish
and the Memphis community who assist the organization with private monetary
donations, corporate medical supply donations, medical supply sorting and
packing, fundraising and other professional, administrative and/or support
services.
-
In 2000, Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
established itself as a non-governmental 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
The Board of Directors consists of:
-
President: Gordon J. Kraus, M.D.
-
Vice President: Marion Bailey, D.D.S.
-
Vice President: Genie Ashworth, R.N.
-
Secretary: Tom Lewis
-
Treasurer: Jeff Rogers
-
At Large Directors: Bro. Edward
Salgado, Ms. Nancy Donovan, Dr. Philip Dirmeyer, Ms. Patty Shimick, and
Ms. Cheryl Cooley.
-
The board is supported by Church of the Holy
Spirit’s Parish Social Ministry Program. Father Albert Kirk is Pastor
of Holy Spirit and Therese Gustaitis, director of PSM, acts as the liaison
to Haiti Medical Missions.
HMMOM is Multi-Denominational
-
While Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis originated
at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and is endorsed by the Catholic Diocese
of Memphis, the organization is multi-denominational and welcomes the participation
of all people regardless of their gender, race or religion.
Affiliated Entities
-
Through its mission work, Haiti Medical Missions
has developed relationships with individuals or organizations that have
similar missions and goals. Some of these other individuals and organizations
include:
-
Church of the Holy Spirit, Memphis,
TN
-
The Diocese of Memphis, Memphis,
TN
-
Christian Brothers University,
Memphis, TN
-
Christ United Methodist Church,
Memphis, TN
-
Dominican Sisters,
R.N.'s
-
America Solidaria,
Chile: provides professional health care providers
-
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary,
Haiti
-
The Haitian Project/L’Ouverture
Cleary School, Providence, RI
-
Sister Lucie, Hospital of Hope,
Pilate, Haiti
-
Archdiocese of Haiti
-
Sisters and Brothers of Charity,
Various Facilities, Haiti
-
Father Tom Hagan, Hands Together,
Haiti
-
Littlest Angels
-
Don Lafonte, M.D., St. Mary’s
Church, Jackson, TN
-
Tim McCall, M.D., University
of Texas School of Medicine, Waco, TX
-
John McCall, PhD, University
of Tennessee Family Practice, Memphis, TN
-
Arthur Fournier, M.D., University
of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL
-
Theresa Patterson, Director,
Parish Twinning Program of America, Nashville, TN
-
View a Slide
Show about Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
|
|
How
to Contact
Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
|
|
-
Medical Director:
Gordon Kraus, M.D.
1779 Kirby Parkway #1
PMB 319
Memphis, TN 38138
Phone: 901-761-9097
Fax: 901-682-7635
Email: docgjk@aol.com
|
-
Administrative Director:
(position vacant)
|
 |
-
To join a team:
CBU Students contact
Bro.
Edward Salgado, Chair, CBU Biology Dept. [Student
trips are on hold.]
-
To make a donation:
Contact Gordon Kraus,
M.D. , Medical Missions of Memphis. Email: docgjk@aol.com.
-
Webmaster:
Anna E. Ross, Ph.D., Department
of Biology, Christian Brothers University
Email: aross@cbu.edu
|
